When Wizkid called on his fans to ‘Holla at your boy’ when they see him drive by, whether he knew just a few years later he would be regarded as Africa’s biggest act, is up for debate.
After breaking through with his hit in 2010, the young audience quickly fell in love with Wizzy’s swag. But there were the skeptical adults who didn’t really know what to make of him.
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Like he knew what had to be done to win over the older audience, Wizkid would bring music-loving adults into his world with the merry-go-round dance-filled visuals for ‘Pakurumo’, a song off his debut album, Superstar.
From then on, Starboy had everybody’s attention and has never looked back.
Wizzy is already courting a legendary status in 2016 – six years since his major debut – but what exactly has changed about his music that makes him so special and sought after?
LISTEN: The 5 international collabos Wizkid has done in 2016
His last studio album, released in 2014, Ayo was met with lukewarm reception by music lovers and critics. But with ‘Ojuelegba’, Wizkid managed to break new grounds and ultimately, catapult himself to international heights.
Last we checked, his music content hasn’t changed much (we weren’t spared from the confusion that was ‘In My Bed’), but noticeably, his sound has judiciously evolved to keep up with a rapidly-changing global music climate.
Wizzy’s recent singles, ‘Baba Nla’, ‘One Dance’ with Drake, ‘Mamacita’ with Tinnie Tempah and ‘Shabba’ featuring Chris Brown, Trey Songz and French Montana, haven’t offered anything special in terms of content, with all being repetitive odes to ladies’ derrières and his lust for them.
Also READ: How Chris Brown, Drake are helping Wizkid go global
Suffice to say, Wizkid’s not-so-secret weapon has been more about incorporating a globally relatable sound in his music than having meaningful music content, a formula that appears to be working perfectly for him.
His continued rise on the international scene will make a more introspective group of Nigerian artistes kick themselves in fury, wondering why their more ‘meaningful’ songs are not attracting ‘deserved’ international attention.
But for Wizkid, if it ain’t broke, why fix it?
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